1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, an information processing system, and a medium, and particularly to an information processing apparatus and method, an information processing system, and a medium suitable for use in a system using a non-contact type IC card.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, it has become popular to use a non-contact type IC (Integrated Circuit) card at the time of passing through a ticket gate of public transport, at the time of opening or closing a door required for identification in a building, at the time of using a terminal connected to a network, at the time of performing merchandise control or stock control in a factory or warehouse, or the like. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system in which the non-contact type IC card (hereinafter, simply abbreviated to an IC card) is used. A host computer 1 is constructed by a personal computer or the like, and controls the whole, and a data conversion device 2 converts a command from the host computer 1 or a response from an antenna 3 into data having a format suitable for each device to which output is made. The antenna 3 performs transfer of information to an IC card 4 in a non-contact manner (by wireless).
The IC 4 card is constituted by a communication portion 5, a processing portion 6, and a storage portion 7. A command outputted from the antenna 3 is received by the communication portion 5 of the IC card 4, and the processing portion 6 analyzes the received command. The storage portion 7 stores predetermined information which is read out by the processing portion 6 as needed. The read information is transmitted to the antenna 3 through the communication portion 5.
The host computer 1 is connected to the data conversion device 2 through wire, and transfer of data is performed with a digital signal. FIG. 2 shows a data structure of data transferred between the host computer 1 and the data conversion device 2. The data is constituted by a preamble, sink, length, checksum of length, data main body, checksum of data, and postamble. When data is transmitted from the host computer 1 to the data conversion device 2, which requests readout of data from the IC card 4, the data main body portion of the former data includes a code of a command meaning readout, a memory address where the objective data of readout are written in the IC card 4, and the like. When it is requested to write data in the IC card 4, the data main body portion of data includes a code of a command meaning writing, the objective data of writing, and the like.
On the contrary, when data are transmitted from the data conversion device 2 to the host computer 1 as a response to a command to request readout of data from the IC card 4, the data main body portion includes the data read out from the IC card 4. In the data main body portion at the time of response to a command to request writing of data in the IC card 4, a status indicating whether or not writing of data in the IC card 4 succeeded, or the like is included.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal structure of the data conversion device 2. An interface 11 interfaces data to the host computer 1. A digital circuit portion 12 is a circuit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), and analyzes data outputted from the host computer 1 and interfaced by the interface 11 or data outputted from an analog circuit portion 13. At that time, as needed, the digital circuit portion 12 writes data in a memory 14 or reads out written data. The analog circuit portion 13 processes analog data to the antenna 3 and analog data from the antenna 3.
The host computer 1 outputs a command as a digital signal to the data conversion device 2. The interface 11 of the data conversion device 2 outputs the digital signal inputted from the host computer 1 to the digital circuit portion 12. The digital circuit portion 12 analyzes the command included in the inputted digital signal, and on the basis of the analysis result, the command to be transmitted to the IC card 4 is determined. The determined command is subjected to processing such as encrypting or conversion of a code system, and is outputted to the analog circuit portion 13. The analog circuit portion 13 converts data of the command of the inputted digital signal into an analog signal, and outputs it to the antenna 3 (FIG. 1).
The antenna 3 electromagnetically emits the command of the inputted analog signal to the IC card 4 by wireless. The emitted command is received by the IC card 4. The IC card 4 analyzes the received command by an internal IC (not shown), and returns a response corresponding to the analysis result as an analog signal to the antenna 3.
The antenna 3 having received the response transmitted from the IC card 4 by wireless transmits the received response with an analog signal to the data conversion device 2. The data conversion device 2 analyzes the response transmitted from the antenna 3, and outputs the analysis result as a digital signal to the host computer 1.
Like this, since the data conversion device 2 and the antenna 3 are used in one-to-one combination, in the case where a plurality of gates are installed, such as a ticket gate of public transport, plural pairs of data conversion devices 2 and antennas 3 are used. FIG. 4 is a view schematically showing a case where a plurality of gates are provided. A data conversion device 2-1 and an antenna 3-1 are installed for a gate 21-1, a data conversion device 2-2 and an antenna 3-2 are installed for a gate 21-2, a data conversion device 2-3 and an antenna 3-3 are installed for a gate 21-3, and a data conversion device 2-N and an antenna 3-N are installed for a gate 21-N (hereinafter, in a case where it is not necessary to distinguish the respective antennas 3-1 to 3-N, they are respectively represented merely as the antenna 3. The other devices are also represented in the same way.). Like this, a pair of data conversion device 2 and antenna 3 are respectively installed for the respective gates 21.
IC cards 4-1 to 4-N are designed so that they are recognized even if they pass through any of the gates 21-1 to 21-N.
In the case where the data conversion devices 2-1 to 2-N are installed in this way, it is necessary to install a control portion 22 between the data conversion devices 2-1 to 2-N and the host computer 1. The control portion 22 makes control to determine that data outputted from the host computer 1 is transmitted to which data conversion device 2, or to determine which data conversion device 2 transmits data, or detects the data conversion device 2 being out of order.
As described above, in the case where the plurality of data conversion devices 2 are installed, it has been necessary to install the control portion 22 for controlling those data conversion devices 2. However, the design of the control portion 22 has required considerable labor, and in the case where the system is changed, it has been necessary to newly design. Besides, since communication between the data conversion devices 2 and the antenna 3 is performed through an analog signal, there has been a problem that if the distance is made long, the signal is attenuated.